Universal human rights standards in a multi-cultural world:cultural relativism, a challenge to the realisation of universal human rights, especially those of women
type: CreativeWork
description: This present study is a recognition of the important place that human rights have come to occupy in both national and international affairs. Indeed the Preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has echoed that the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.International human instruments proclaim universal standards against which every member country of United Nations can be judged in its treatment of its citizens with respect to issues of human rights. This proclamation is, however, not without challenge; one of the challenges posed to it is culture. It has been argued that there can never be legitimate universal standards for judging all nations in the face of cultural diversity. Indeed the multiplicity of cultures cannot be denied. But the aim of human rights is not to disrupt the diversity of cultures. The concept of human rights is in way a unifying factor whilst preserving differences. It is premised on the recognition of the inherent dignity of all human beings; and this being the case, no society can deny the fact that the concept of human dignity is constant in all cultures and thus, human rights can be assimilated by diverse cultures without disrupting or disorienting those cultures.The argument that the human rights norms, being a Western concept, can never have application in other societies is without base. There is a certain core about human rights that runs constant through all cultures, for instance, the right to life, freedom from torture, freedom from slave-like practices and genocide. With respect to other rights, states have latitude to make adjustments without necessarily eroding people of their dignity.Currently in Zambia we are witnessing a lot of commitment in the area of human rights especially on the part of the Non-Governmental Organisations. But whilst significant changes are beginning to occur, we still have a long way to go…
abstract: This present study is a recognition of the important place that human rights have come to occupy in both national and international affairs. Indeed the Preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has echoed that the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.International human instruments proclaim universal standards against which every member country of United Nations can be judged in its treatment of its citizens with respect to issues of human rights. This proclamation is, however, not without challenge; one of the challenges posed to it is culture. It has been argued that there can never be legitimate universal standards for judging all nations in the face of cultural diversity. Indeed the multiplicity of cultures cannot be denied. But the aim of human rights is not to disrupt the diversity of cultures. The concept of human rights is in way a unifying factor whilst preserving differences. It is premised on the recognition of the inherent dignity of all human beings; and this being the case, no society can deny the fact that the concept of human dignity is constant in all cultures and thus, human rights can be assimilated by diverse cultures without disrupting or disorienting those cultures.The argument that the human rights norms, being a Western concept, can never have application in other societies is without base. There is a certain core about human rights that runs constant through all cultures, for instance, the right to life, freedom from torture, freedom from slave-like practices and genocide. With respect to other rights, states have latitude to make adjustments without necessarily eroding people of their dignity.Currently in Zambia we are witnessing a lot of commitment in the area of human rights especially on the part of the Non-Governmental Organisations. But whilst significant changes are beginning to occur, we still have a long way to go…
author: Sekelebaka, Muwamba
language: en
keywords: Human Rights, Crimes Against-Women
date published: 2013-10-22
date modified: 2026-07-27T22:07:03Z
provider: University of Zimbabwe
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Zimbabwe